PHOENIX: Women's boxing star Gabriela Fundora, a possible future face of Golden Boy Promotions in Gael Cabrera, and WBO minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo, and many others, all won their respective fights during the Munguia-Ryder event Saturday broadcast on DAZN from the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Towering over her opponent Christina Cruz, Fundora landed crisp, short range right hooks early on, and showcased intuitive head and upper body movement. But all that slipperiness was short term as she absorbed shots and bled from the nose, perhaps because of Cruz's ability to time her punches right, boxing her smart.
Fundora, for the most part, showcased a difference in power — to the head, to the body, and when she'd punch out of the clinch.
In the 10th and final round, Fundora threw a flurry at Cruz, who turned her back. Fundora attacked her body, and Cruz started veering away from her opponent and to the ropes, while still her back was turned.
It all left the referee with little option but to withdraw Cruz from the contest, much to Fundora's delight who jumped atop a turnbuckle and flexed in front of the Phoenix fight fans.
#ANDSTILL, the IBF Flyweight Champ, @GabrielaFundor3 with the TKO win 🙌
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 28, 2024
The action continues on the #MunguiaRyder main card, LIVE on https://t.co/FoiaUucafv 🥊 pic.twitter.com/EUC1fS2Bd6
"Christina Cruz is … an amazing boxer and when I was younger, I looked up to her because she was an Olympian," Fundora said in a statement sent to ProBox TV. "I even had a picture of her on my bedroom wall.
"It was a privilege to share the ring with her tonight and I’m glad the referee stopped the fight when he did, I unleashed on her, and she turned around indicating that she no longer wanted to fight," Fundora, who advanced her pro record to 13-0 (6KOs), finished.
Oscar Collazo gets one step closer to 'a briefcase full of cash'
One of the more humorous storylines from fight week this week was an exchange between WBO minimumweight world champion Oscar Collazo and promoter Oscar de la Hoya.
At Thursday's final pre-fight press conference, Collazo reminded de la Hoya of comments he once said in which he compared modern day fighters to champions from the 1990s, saying today's boxers don't fight up to five world title fights in a calendar year like they did back then.
Collazo, despite only eight fights on his resume at the time, took umbrage to it all and said he'd want to do just that in 2024 — fight five times.
Against Reyneris Gutierrez, Collazo barely broke a sweat as he destroyed his opponent despite the courage he showed attempting to stand up to shots in which Collazo wobbled him, threw thunder, threw lightning, until, eventually, the accumulation of blows got all too much for Gutierrez and the referee pulled him out of there.
One down, four to go in 2024 for Collazo, who advanced his pro record to 9-0 (7 KOs) with the win.
Oscar Collazo shows why he's SO EXPLOSIVE in retaining the gold 💥#MunguiaRyder is NEXT on https://t.co/FoiaUucafv 🥊 pic.twitter.com/p6tM43U7tc
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 28, 2024
Gael Cabrera wins his third pro fight
Earlier this week, de la Hoya told ProBox TV and other media that Gael Cabrera had the potential to become one of the baddest boxers in the entire Golden Boy roster.
During a preliminary bout against Miguel Ceballos, Cabrera knocked his opponent to the floor en route to a comfortable four-round decision win, moving his pro record to 4-0 (2KOs).
Other results:
Darius Fulghum beat Alantez Fox by 10-round decision
David Picasso beat Erik Ruiz by 10-round decision
Daniel Garcia beat Daniel Lugo by KO
Gregory Morales beat Ronal Ron by 8-round decision
Jonathan Canas beat Kameeko Hall by 1st round KO
